Field of the Invention
The present inventions relate to at least one imaging apparatus and at least one control method, and more particularly to at least one technique for suppressing influence of flicker that occurs under an artificial light source, such as a fluorescent lamp.
Description of the Related Art
Imaging apparatuses such as a digital camera and a mobile phone have recently been improving in sensitivity. This has made it possible to perform imaging at high shutter speed (short exposure time) and to obtain bright images with less blur even under a relatively dark environment.
Fluorescent lamps are prevalent as indoor light sources. Fluorescent lamps produce flicker, a phenomenon in which the illumination light fluctuates periodically, due to influence of a commercial power supply frequency. If imaging is performed at high shutter speed under such a light source that produces flicker (hereinafter, referred to as a flickering light source), exposure nonuniformity and/or color nonuniformity can occur in an image. Exposure and/or color temperature variations can occur between a plurality of images continuously captured.
Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2006-222935 discusses a technique for detecting a state of flicker of illumination light and adjusting imaging timing so that the center of exposure time substantially coincides with timing when a light amount of the illumination light shows a maximum value.
In Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2006-222935, an exposure start time is discussed to be adjusted so that the maximum value of the illumination light amount and the center of the exposure period substantially coincide with each other. However, a specific method thereof is not discussed. If the exposure start time is not able to be appropriately adjusted to an imaging condition, a favorable image cannot be obtained.